Cast in the dappled light that filters through the trees above, George Michael lies at peace in a north London cemetery right next to his mother Lesley.

His grave has been pictured for the first time in Highgate's quiet West Cemetery, surrounded by greenery and beautiful spring flowers.

It lies on a public throughfare that winds through the old tombs and headstones of the famous graveyard, currently shielded by a fence while the star's final resting place settles.

The site of George's grave in Highgate Cemetery

George's final resting place is next to his mother Lesley's, pictured (Image: Mirrorpix)

George, who died at the age of 53 on Christmas Day last year, was devoted to his beloved mother, so his surviving family have placed the two of them in adjourning plots.

She passed away in 1997, leaving George devastated.

While Highgate has said George's grave will not be included in the guided tour, his resting place will not be hidden from view - although members of the public will have to pay a £12 entry fee to walk around the cemetery with a guide.

The website cautions interested tourists to note: " George Michael 's grave is not visited on the tour."

This means that the general public will never see the singer's final resting place as the cemetery lies behind brick walls and is hidden among dense trees, away from prying eyes.

The news will come as a devastating blow to the millions of fans who would want to pay tribute to their hero by visiting his grave.

Fans will not get to pay tribute to their hero George Michael (Image: PA)

George had previously only been rumoured to be set to be buried near to his mother, Lesley Panayiotou.

She is laid to rest a stone's throw from the graves of painter Lucien Freud and Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko - who was buried in a lead-lined coffin after being poisoned with radioactive polonium.

Tourists can pay £12 for the 70 minute tour which takes place in all weathers.

George's family and friends are believed to have not wanted his grave to become a tourist attraction - like Elvis Presley's at Graceland or The Doors singer Jim Morrison's in Paris, for instance.

Read More

MirrorOnline reported yesterday that George had been laid to rest during a private ceremony with his family and close friends.

His family released a statement confirming they paid their final farewell to a "beloved son, brother and friend" today in a "small" funeral.

A statement read: "We can confirm that the funeral of the singer George Michael took place today.

Andrew Ridgeley attended (Image: Tim Anderson/Daily Mirror)

"Family and close friends gathered for the small, private ceremony to say goodbye to their beloved Son, Brother and Friend.

"George Michael's family would like to thank his fans across the world for their many messages of love and support.

"We ask that the family's wish for privacy be respected so that they can continue to live their lives privately, away from any media intrusion."

Video Loading

Video Unavailable

Click to playTap to play

The video will start in 8Cancel

Play now

Andrew Ridgeley, Pepsi DeMacque and Martin Kemp were among the celebrity mourners who attended the funeral, three months after George Michael's death.

The popstar's lover Fadi Fawaz was also in attendance at the private funeral service held at Highgate Cemetery in North London on Wednesday afternoon.

Later former partner Kenny Goss and the Kemp family joined mourners for a wake inside George's £10 million home.

Martin Kemp is seen arriving (Image: Tim Anderson/Daily Mirror)

Barriers were erected outside the star's mansion and a doorman was stationed outside while around 20 people gathered inside to remember the superstar.

Supermodel Kate Moss earlier sparked speculation she would attend the gathering when she was seen nearby dressed in black, but she later stopped off at a restaurant.

George was 53 years old when he died on Christmas Day 2016, prompting an outpouring of grief from fans around the world.

His funeral was postponed while the coroner completed a report into the star's cause of death.

Toxicology results can take several weeks to process.

George's Wham! bandmates paid tribute to him at the Brits (Image: Getty)

Earlier this month the coroner said that Michael had died of heart disease and a build-up of fat in his liver.

Oxfordshire's senior coroner Darren Salter said: "Inquiries into the death of George Michael have been concluded and the final post mortem report received.

"As there is a confirmed natural cause of death, being dilated cardiomyopathy with myocarditis and fatty liver, the investigation is being discontinued and there is no need for an inquest or any further inquiries."

"No further updates will be provided," the coroner added.

As popstar George passed away from natural causes, an inquest did not need to held, which meant his loved ones could finally arrange a funeral and say their goodbyes.

Read More

It comes at a particularly poignant time of the year given that Mothering Sunday took place at the weekend and reports have suggested George will be buried next to his beloved mum Lesley.

The insider added: "It’s what he would have wanted. George Michael’s family have a private plot where his mother is buried – and there is currently space within it for further burials."

Speculation about a funeral at Highgate Cemetery had been increasing in recent weeks, so much so that the cemetery issued a statement on their website saying: “Sorry, we have no information about George Michael.”

The star died of natural causes (Image: PA)

The automated phone system echoed those sentiments, saying, “If you are phoning about George Michael, I’m sorry, we haven’t got any information for you.”

There had been rumours at the start of the week that George had been secretly laid to rest already, after his boyfriend Fadi tweeted a photo of a church at twilight.

However Fadi later clarified it had been a church he'd driven past in Windsor and found pretty.

Fine art photographer Fadi, 40, had claimed earlier this month he wasn't sure what was happening in terms of funeral arrangements.

It’s been a long process for George’s loved ones, who have been waiting for three months to lay the Wham! star to rest.

Greek radio host Vasilis Panayi, a family friend, said in February: “It’s very hard for all of them, quite intolerable.

Fadi found George's body on Christmas Day (Image: Daily Mirror)

"It’s a shock and terrible for his father… He wants to hold the funeral but so far the police are refusing to release the body and are looking for further clues.”

And George's former Wham! bandmate Andrew Ridgeley told The Mirror earlier this month that the family were hopeful they could bury George soon.

"We've not had closure," explained Andrew. "It's difficult for me, it's difficult for everyone. It's a limbo period and we need to be able to move on."

Meanwhile, there have been suggestions that a public memorial could be held for George at some date in the future, although it's not been confirmed.

Fadi's tweet prompted people to believe the funeral happened days ago (Image: fadifawaz/Twitter)

Fadi has posted about how much he misses George (Image: Twitter)

Dame Esther Rantzen said in December she is planning a star-studded tribute to George to thank him for secretly donating more than £2million to her charity Childline.

Esther said: “George helped us to reach out to hundreds of thousands of children through his generosity. I met him a couple of times, he approached us, rather than us going cap in hand to him, but it was an intensely personal gift.

"He didn’t want it to be known or to be part of his image. I think it would be wonderful to celebrate him with a tribute concert next year.”